La Briqueterie

at the heart of a factory of yesteryear

There are sites that you visit that, in the space of an instant, transport you to another time. The Briqueterie de Ciry-le-Noble is one of them.

At the heart of the Vallée de la Céramique, this former factory is an unusual place that offers a fascinating journey through the last century. Take a tour and discover how bricks were made, what skills were used and what life was like for the workers of yesteryear.

The Vairet-Baudot factory

des Touillards

Of the many ceramic factories built along the Canal du Centre in the ^19th and ^20th centuries, the former Vairet-Baudot brickworks is one of the few remaining.

Founded in 1863, the family business specialized in the manufacture of bricks, paving tiles and other highly resistant products for the chemical industry, using the exceptional properties of local clays. It operated until 1967. After its closure, the site was largely preserved as it was.

In the workshops

close to the machines

330 Ciry Le Noble La Briqueterie @lesley Williamson Min 1

In the footsteps

workers of yesteryear

Covering 7500^m2, the site reveals all its original infrastructures: the metal bridge, storage halls, manufacturing workshops, dryers, kilns and shipping lanes.

As the tour unfolds, young and old alike are invited to relive the bustle of the Brickworks workshops, with all their machinery. The techniques used to make bricks and tiles at the beginning of the ^20th century, the know-how and working conditions of the Vairet-Baudot workers will no longer hold any secrets for you.

Summer events

During the summer months, the Briqueterie site comes alive and hosts a variety of events: exhibitions, concerts, shows, gourmet and craft markets.

See thecalendar for details.

Visit

at La Briqueterie

Le Briqueterie is open in July and August, as well as during the European Heritage Days on September 21 and 22, 2024.

Practical information

Address

Route du Canal - D 974, Ciry-le-Noble

Rates

Base rate - full rate adult

4€

Other rate

2€

Child rate

Free

Rate for unemployed persons

Free